![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/image-1-300x225.jpg\" "\\"The")
Photography is, always has been, and always will be about the light<\/em><\/strong>. Whether you\u2019re shooting on your phone or a \u00a330K Hasselblad, if the light\u2019s not working for you, your images will struggle. You might have heard of \u2018The Golden Hour\u2019, that period shortly after sunrise or before sunset when daylight is at its most magical. Sacrificing a couple of hours sleep (or partying) to be out shooting during the golden hour rewards the effort. A landscape you didn\u2019t look at twice at midday is often transformed at the start or end of the day.<\/p>\n That\u2019s not to say you can\u2019t shoot at any other time, just be aware of the light.<\/p>\n If it\u2019s too harsh, your camera phone sensor won\u2019t be able to record the same level of detail that your eyes can. Digital sensors have always struggled with the really bright parts, or \u2018highlights\u2019, in a scene. So if you shoot, say, a landscape at midday, the very bright sky is likely going to come out as an ugly white stripe at the top of your shot.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re shooting portraits in harsh light, try persuading your subject to move into a more shaded area, or you\u2019ll risk losing detail. If you\u2019re indoors, using the softened light coming through a window works really well.<\/p>\n The Flash That Isn\u2019t <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n One area where camera phones have really been left behind is the flash. The two main problems with it are its position (right next to the lens, literally the worst<\/em> place it could be) and the fact that it isn\u2019t really a flash at all. It\u2019s a torch. Both these factors add up to some really gruesome images. Harsh, cold lighting that can turn even the most beautiful subject into a horror show.<\/p>\n If at all possible, avoid using the flash for shooting portraits. Try and find some available light, either by moving yourself or your subject.<\/p>\n Move Your A**! <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Another true great from way back in the day, Robert Capa, uttered the best advice I ever read as a photographer. \u201cIf your pictures aren\u2019t good enough, you\u2019re not close enough.\u201d Moving closer towards your subject (within reason of course, especially if you\u2019re on safari. Although Capa shot the D-Day landings, so\u2026) can turn an average shot into a good one and a good shot into an absolute belter. Try and make sure that the subject of your photo isn\u2019t being distracted from by any other element in the shot.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t be lazy about it! Yes, I know your phone camera has digital zoom. No, you\u2019re not allowed to use it! All you\u2019re doing is enlarging the middle portion of the image-along with the pixels-and lowering the resolution of the whole thing. Looks bad. Avoid.<\/p>\n Also, don\u2019t be afraid to get down and dirty in your quest for that winning image. Finding an unusual angle to shoot from can really enhance your photography.<\/p>\n So, get yourself face down in the dirt and shoot, or find an elevated point and try from there. You\u2019ll be amazed at just how different your shots can look from the run-of-the-mill snaps if you\u2019re willing to put in a little extra legwork.<\/p>\n A Bit Of Extra Help<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n At the last count, there were just over 75 gajillion apps available for your phone, and a healthy proportion of those were created to enhance your photography. Here\u2019s just a quick look at some personal favourites.<\/p>\n 645 Pro. (\u00a32.49) <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Although aimed very much at the professional and serious amateur market, this very impressive app has been so well designed that anyone with even the most passing interest in photography can benefit from its huge range of features. Its user interface looks exactly like the back of a high-end compact camera, and includes a handy guide to each of its functions. Like a good digital camera, you can choose to point and shoot in fully automatic mode, or explore your more creative side and take complete manual control over exposure, metering and focus. And a feature I particularly like; trying out a range of different film effects, both black and white and colour.<\/p>\n Camera Awesome (IOS-Free. Android \u00a31.87) <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n This is a good all-rounder, aimed more at enthusiasts than serious photographers. It has some nifty features, including an artificial horizon to make sure your shots are perfectly level, composition aids and a handy burst mode of 9 frames per second. You have the ability to adjust many of the controls manually too, and there are more than 100 creative effects to try out, including \u2018Awesomize\u2019, a one-click image correction feature with slider control to adjust the overall strength. There\u2019s one feature you won\u2019t find even on most dedicated cameras-the ability to set the metering and focus points separately without having to recompose.<\/p>\n Photoshop Touch (\u00a32.99) <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Trying to condense a great galumphing behemoth of a program like Photoshop into a phone app was always going to be a challenge for the boys at Adobe, but by and large, they\u2019ve had a great stab at it. It\u2019s not the most intuitive thing in the world, and having some experience with the full fat, desktop version is a definite advantage when trying to work out which icon you need. Most of the functions that make Photoshop the industry standard are included somewhere and perseverance should yield great results.<\/p>\n Snapseed (Free) <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n This is a great little app for editing in a hurry. Very easy to use and has some surprisingly powerful features to play around with, including HDR (High Dynamic Range) which will let you draw out details in your shot you may have thought were lost, (although it can look pretty naff if you overdo it!). Lovely, simple interface and great fun to try out all the effects. Best of all, it\u2019s free. So there\u2019s really no excuse not to try it and turn your shots into mini works of art.<\/p>\n So, those are some very basic tips and suggestions on using smartphone cameras. And they apply really to any photography, as when you get right down to it, cameras are all just boxes with lenses on the front. The subject, the light and where you stand (or crouch, or kneel, or lie down) in relation to it, are always going to be more important than what you use to shoot it.<\/p>\n Have fun, go shoot and good luck!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/image-2-204x300.jpg\" "\\"The")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/image-3-300x225.jpg\" "\\"Move")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/image-4-300x169.jpg\" "\\"645")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/image-5-300x169.jpg\" "\\"Camera")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/image-6-228x300.jpg\" "\\"Photoshop")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.tucan.travel\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/image-7-300x225.jpg\" "\\"Snapseed\\"")